1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sunroof of an automotive vehicle and more specifically to an improved seal assembly for use on the sunroof.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 4 shows a conventional seal assembly 100 including a seal part 102 and a bracket part 104 for use on a sunroof 14 of an automotive vehicle 10 (see FIG. 1). The seal assembly 100 provides a seal between the sunroof 14 and a roof 12 of the vehicle 10. The seal part 102 includes a front base 106 with a resilient portion 110 and a rear base 108. The front base 106 is attached to both a bottom surface and a front edge surface of a glass portion 16 of the sunroof 14. The rear base 108 is separate from the front base 106 and is attached to the bottom surface of the glass portion 16 at a distance behind the front base 106. The resilient portion 110 is integrally joined to a front edge 112 of the front base 106 and resiliently contacts the roof 12 when the sunroof 14 is in a closed position.
The bracket part 104 is attached to a bottom surface of both the front base 106 and the rear base 108. A front edge 114 of the bracket part 104 extends in a downward direction away from the seal part 102 into a passenger occupancy portion of the vehicle 10. Because the seal part 102 does not cover the front edge 114 a sharp edge 116 may be potentially exposed to the occupants of the vehicle 10 thereby creating a potential health hazard. In order to eliminate the health hazard, the front edge 114 of the bracket part 104 is formed into a hem flange 118. A hem flange is formed by bending an edge of a metal panel inward about 180° so that the edge is folded back on itself. The hem flange forms a smooth-rounded edge thereby eliminating a sharp edge on the metal panel. Thus, the exposed sharp edge 116 on the front edge 114 on the bracket part 104 can be eliminated thereby removing the health hazard to the occupants.
The disadvantage of this seal assembly, however, is that the formation of a hem flange requires an extra production step in the manufacturing of the seal assembly. This extra production step leads to increased manufacturing costs and ultimately increased vehicle costs to the consumer. Thus, what is required is a seal assembly that eliminates the need for a hem flange without sacrificing occupant safety and seal performance.